Building of a hierarchy of wines based on terroirs: an initiative from the producers of Muscadet

Row orientation and canopy management are essential for high quality grapevine production. Microclimatic conditions of the leaves and fruits can be influenced by the canopy geometry. Remote sensing is a very promising tool to describe vegetative growth and physiological behavior of vineyards. However, the correlation between remotely sensed data and in situ field measurements has been described scarcely in the scientific literature so far. The aim of the study was to correlate remotely sensed data obtained with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with in situ field measurements to describe canopy structure.

In Portugal, the prospection and conservation of representative samples of intra-varietal variability of grapevine has been carried out for 46 years, and in 2010 an infrastructure was created for the conservation of all these genetic resources – the portuguese association for grapevine diversity (porvid) experimental centre for the conservation of grapevine diversity. the aim is to save the genetic identity of ancient varieties to prevent their imminent loss and to preserve the raw material for current and future selections, thus adding economic value and sustainability to the vine and wine sector.

Botrytis cinerea Pers., the causal agent of grey mould disease, is responsible for substantial economic losses, as it causes reduction of grape and wine quality and quantity. Exploitation of antagonistic yeasts is a promising strategy for controlling grey mould incidence and limiting the usage of synthetic fungicides. In our previous studies, 119 different indigenous yeasts were screened for putative multidimensional modes of action against filamentous fungus B. cinerea [1]. The most promissing biocontrol yeast was Pichia guilliermondii ZIM624, which exhibited several anatagonistic traits (production of cell wall degrading enzymes, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase; demonstration of in vitro inhibitory effect on B. cinerea mycelia radial growth; production of antifungal volatiles, assimilation of a broad diversity of carbon sources, contributing to its competitivnes in inhabiting grapes in nature).

Cognac is an outstanding french wine spirit appreciated around the world and produced exclusively in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and more precisely in the Cognac area. According to AOC regulations (Appellation D’origine Controlée), the spirit required at least 2 years of continuous ageing in oak barrels to be granted the title of Cognac. The oak wood will import color, structure and organoleptic complexity. The different steps during barrel-making process, such as seasoning and toasting, influence the above quality attributes in both wines and spirits.

Every year, viticulture is facing several outbreaks caused by established diseases, such as downy mildew and grey mould, which possess different life cycles and modes of infection. To cope with these different aggressors, grapevine must recognize them and arm itself with an arsenal of defense strategies.
The regulation of secondary metabolites is one of the first reactions of plants upon pathogen challenge. Their rapid biosynthesis can highly contribute to strengthen the defense mechanisms allowing the plant to adapt, defend and survive.